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BLACK MUSIC VIDEOS HAVE A COMMON THEME

 

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megan_girl US megan_girl Veteran
Posts: 888
 

Black Music videos have a common theme

Oct 8, 2005 02:19 PM. Post 1
While I despise rap, I do catch rap videos while surfing the television. On Mtv, VH-1, and BET everytime I see the same theme: women dressed sexed up, expensive material goods (ie cars, money, mansions, yachts, jewelry), and a culture of criminality.

Why is it the same theme over and over again? I'm sure there is a political reason, yet it escapes me.
 
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mrs.smith101 US mrs.smith101 Enthusiast
Posts: 539
 

RE: Black Music videos have a common theme

Oct 8, 2005 03:56 PM. Post 2
Megan i'm sorry, but I find this thread very irrelevant.
 
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BrianAAA US BrianAAA Pokah! addict
Posts: 203
 

RE: Black Music videos have a common theme

Oct 8, 2005 04:45 PM. Post 3
Actually, I kinda think this is an interesting theme/question, although we may not get a lot of disagreement (but who knows, we might!) My understanding (having not grown up in an impoverished minority community, I'm not personally sure if this is true, but it is certainly "common knowledge") is that the dynamic goes something like this:

Person is born into poverty, especially in an inner-city environment. Person does the natural thing and looks for the best way to give themselves the best life possible according to the standards of their society. U.S. standards involve accumulating money, and in particular getting as much as you can in the easiest way possible. When living in a poverty-stricken inner-city community, the best way to accomplish this (and only "role models" you have for this) is through crime. If you are male, that means gangs, robbery, drugs and shooting people. If you are female, that means looking as "good" as possible, in the hopes of attracting a male who will be on the way up, or at least a little better than the others. I think this pretty well defines rap culture...

Note that I did NOT mention race here. I don't think that has anywhere near as much to do with it as poverty and living in an urban environment. People with white skin in poverty stricken urban areas are just as likely to "go bad" as non-whites. Poverty stricken people with black skin in rural areas display enormously different living patterns than those in urban areas. They might like rap because the TV tells them to, but they are MUCH less likely to spend their lives in jail, and more likely to have low paying, dead end rural jobs, just like anyone with white skin in the same area. And non-whites who grow up outside of poverty have similar (maybe not quite equal overall, but similar) characteristics to whites. If you live in the rich burbs, you are a kid from the rich burbs, and your color is much less important (even if it may still be an issue at times because of underlying racism.)

The unfortunate basic fact is, if you are born in poverty in this country, and especially in an urban area, you just lost the "life lottery" and are pretty much screwed. You got the short end of the stick. It is certainly possible for you to get out through legitimate means (e.g. work hard, get an education, get a good job) but the system and society are set up to screw you at every turn, and the people who do get out are the clear exceptions to the rule.

That's my take at least, but its based on a LOT of political and sociological reading on the subject.
 
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megan_girl US megan_girl Veteran
Posts: 888
 

RE: Black Music videos have a common theme

Oct 8, 2005 11:13 PM. Post 4
Thank you for a very educational analysis on this topic. I completely agree that race plays less of a role in poverty stricken urban areas. Unfortunately, these videos are viewed by impressionable children in these poverished areas and set them on a wrong path to attain what they see. I think these music videos are detrimental to young, poor males, not to mention the message that women are only sex objects.
 
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SDTJ78 US SDTJ78 Pokah! addict
Posts: 1852
 

RE: Black Music videos have a common theme

Oct 9, 2005 04:26 PM. Post 5
It's not a political reason. You're a republican, you should understand it's all about market forces.

The average consumer of rap music is a white, suburban teen looking to rebel and upset their parents.

People of all ages like wealth and money. Teenage boys (ok, most men) like scantily dressed women.

Look at the hard rock/metal videos of the 80s. "women dressed sexed up, expensive material goods (ie cars, money, mansions, yachts, jewelry), and a culture of criminality." Huh, sounds exactly the same.
 
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bobkontz US bobkontz Enthusiast
Posts: 774
 

RE: Black Music videos have a common theme

Oct 9, 2005 07:53 PM. Post 6
ripoi

Edited by moderator bobkontz: (March 29, 2007)

Reason:

 
 
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Santoro212 US Santoro212 Enthusiast
Posts: 269
 

RE: Black Music videos have a common theme

Oct 9, 2005 10:52 PM. Post 7
all of the rap music on tv today is GARBAGE. who listens to it.......actually all mainstream music today is garbage
 
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bobkontz US bobkontz Enthusiast
Posts: 774
 

RE: Black Music videos have a common theme

Oct 10, 2005 01:49 PM. Post 8
Even Green Day?
 
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cyberotter US cyberotter Enthusiast
Posts: 360
 

RE: Black Music videos have a common theme

Oct 10, 2005 02:11 PM. Post 9
Well no not Green Day I mean comon.

Mrs. Smith you said irrelevent?

(shame shame)

Judge not lest ye be....asking what's for dinner?

Unfortunatly MTV is part of our POP-CULTURE and should be addressed. Just not by Megan. (smile)
 
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Mkammari1 US Mkammari1 Pokah! addict
Posts: 2657
 

RE: Black Music videos have a common theme

Oct 10, 2005 05:15 PM. Post 10
Ok...am I the only one that sees something wrong with this title and the content of the thread. Some of the biggest stars in hip hop today are white or puerto rican.

Not to mention, I don't see any mention of the Satan loving white people of heavy metal. Or how about Britney Spears, christan aquilera, Jennifer Lopez, Shakira. Fact of the matter is, that sex sells..and that's more of a product of White Executive recording studio CEO's cashing in on what sells. And Megan, the majority of people who buy these cd's are not poor, impoverished males...but rather middle class white suburbia. These are perceptions that are way off base. And I doubt that someone living in the ghetto has the ability to worry about getting a cable package where MTV is broadcast.
 
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